20 January 2021, 08:26
Cancel seasonal time transition in Ukraine
At it’s meeting on January 20, the Committee on Ukraine's Integration
into the EU considered two draft laws: No. 4201and No. 4201-1, which
propose to abolish the transition to summer and winter time. The first
draft law aims to introduce Kyiv time in Ukraine and, starting this
year, not to use seasonal transition of time. The authors of the
alternative document claim that proposed model is a blueprint of the
one adopted in Russia, and suggest using “Ukrainian time” in Ukraine.
With regards to both draft laws, the Committee concluded that they did
not conflict with the EU law and the Association Agreement, but need to
be revised, in particular to eliminate legal uncertainty.
The Committee also considered at the meeting draft laws, which propose
to regulate the market of gas, timber, road transport and even the
taxation of home brewing.
The members of the Committee recognized the draft laws as consistent
with the EU law:
• Draft Law No. 4539. It offers benefits when paying
consular fees to certain categories of Ukrainian citizens. In
particular, victims of the Chornobyl disaster, persons with
disabilities of groups I and II and children with disabilities.
• Draft Law No. 4376 on Amendments to Article 7 of
the Law of Ukraine “On Road Transport”. The draft law proposes that the
regional state administrations organize the passenger transportation by
intra-regional routes, which will go beyond the territorial community.
If public bus routes run between settlements within one territorial
community - transportation will be organized by the executive body of
the local council of the territorial community.
• Draft No. 4259 on Amendments to Article 16 of the
Law of Ukraine “On Atmospheric Air Protection”. The draft law regulates
relations in the field of handling controlled substances and products
containing them, and the use of which affects the ozone layer and
climate change.
• Draft Law No. 4197 on the timber market. According
to the authors of the bill, it is aimed at creating a regulatory
framework for the functioning of the timber market through a
combination of free competition and government regulation. The draft
law on the timber market does not contradict the EU law, but needs
significant refinement in order to move closer to EU law. The same
conclusion was reached as to the alternative draft Law No. 4197-1.
• Draft Law No. 4437 on Amendments to the Law of
Ukraine “On the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine”. It
proposes a change in the procedure for the appointment and dismissal of
the NABU director. The Committee concluded that the document did not
contradict the objectives of the Association Agreement, but needed to
be revised to take full account of the Decision of the Constitutional
Court of Ukraine No. 11-r/2020. The same conclusion was adopted,
regarding two alternative draft laws No. 4437-2 and No. 4437-3 on
amendments to the Law of Ukraine “On the National Anti-Corruption
Bureau of Ukraine”.
The members of the Committee
recognized the following draft laws as inconsistent with EU law:
• Draft Law No. 4127 on amendments to regulate some
aspects of home brewing taxation. The document proposes to provide tax
benefits to individuals-entrepreneurs engaged in home-brewing, in case
they also produce raw milk. According to the Committee, the draft law
does not comply with Ukraine’s international obligations.
• Draft Law No. 4400 on Amendments to Legislative
Acts Concerning the Development of Competition in the Natural Gas
Market. The draft law, in particular, determines the peculiarities of
setting the starting price of natural gas, the maximum price,
restrictions and certain features of the procedure for conducting such
exchange auctions. The draft law, according to the Committee, is
contrary to the EU law and needs to be finalized.
• Draft Law No. 4437-1 on Amendments to the Law of
Ukraine “On the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine” does not
contradict the Association Agreement, but does not comply with the EU
law No. 883/2013 and needs to be finalized in order to fully take into
account the Decision of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine No.
11-r/2020.